PUNE, May 30: Want to learn Malayalam? It's not as easy as just a few clicks of the mouse, but the power of IT is certainly making the task simpler. A Kochi-based firm has released a CD that teaches the South Indian language in a fun-way.

Using a monkey that jumps all over the screen, games and puzzles and varied levels aimed at learnings with varying skills, this CD -- one of the early attempts at teaching Indian languages through the power of information technology -- seeks to make it easy on the learner.

Its producers claim that the Vidyarambham Malayalam Tutor CD is "designed in such a way that even someone who doesn't have any idea about the language will be able to understand and learn it pretty fast".

It teaches you the alphabets, its pronunciation and the way to write it.

Then, the teacher-in-a-CD moves on to small words, to increase vocabulary. The CD also contains common sentences that one uses to communicate, a few songs, proverbs or riddles showcased on the site www.vidhyarambham.com/demo.htm

"Ours is a commercial venture with a social cause. Vidyarambham Malayalam Tutor CD is the first step that we have taken to fulfill our mission of preserving the Malayalee culture and language," Allenpark Infotech spokesperson Reshma told this correspondent.

It expects that tourists and second-generation Malayalees living abroad could use this CD to learn Malayalam. It could also result in the use of computers in schools increasing, since the CD could help to teach Malayalam in primary classes within Kerala too.

So far, almost 80% of our orders for the CD are from abroad, especially the US. Many customers are foreigners wanting to learn the language because they are devotees of spiritual leaders like Mata Amritananda Mayi.

Put out in an inter-active and multimedia format, and priced at Rs 900, the CD promises to teach children and non-Malayalees to "read, write and talk Malayalam effortlessly". Obviously learning any language is not so easy, but the power of IT could make it less painful.

To make it interesting, it includes folktales, and much of its content is in a cartoon-like format. There are downloads of Malayalam rhymes on offer too for free at http://www.vidyarambham.com.

Allenpark says it developed the CD after a year each spent on research and development, with a team of six persons working on the actual programming, graphics and the like.

So far, the response has been encouraging. Orders have come in from abroad, specially via the Internet, since this CD can be bought via the Net, says the firm that put it together.

Claiming an edge over the limited number of other tutors available in Indian languages, this CD's promoters say its interactivity is its "main attraction".

The CD is designed using the communicative approach, which focuses not on grammar, translations and conjugations per se but instead on communicating "in whatever way you can". Functional situations are emphasized, looking at communicative language learning.

Allenpark Infotech says it shortly plans a Hindi tutor. "We are also planning to bring out a CD on accelerated learning methods, time management, public speaking etc in the near future," said the Kochi-based firm.

Putting this CD together was no child's play. "Settling on an effective instructional design, combining the traditional flow of teaching Malayalam and the modern aspects of interactivity and multimedia posed a real challenge for us," says the company.